A fire
by rickmanfan1978
Summary: Fire in the dungeons. And he can't find her.
1. Chapter 1

Fiendfyre down in the dungeons. A loud sonorus from Headmistress McGonagall ordering evacuation. Potions students filing out in order, while he looks on, ensuring no one panics and causes a stampede. A chance glance at Granger's desk. The girl was not at her place. His eyes scanned the lines. No sight of her brown curls. A quick intake of breath.

"Move along now. Last person out will be scrubbing soot off the darkened ceilings with a toothbrush. Potter!"

Green eyes met his black orbs.

"Where is Miss Know it all?" An added sneer to punctuate his question, just in case.

"I think she hasn't come back from sending Neville to the infirmary, sir."

A small breath of relief. But he had to be sure. And all Professors had to check that their levels were evacuated in the event of an emergency. Long strides quickening as smoke from the fire wafted through the cracks under the dungeon door. He threw open the doors of every room, every supply closet. That was when he bumped into Neville.

"What are you doing here, Longbottom?"

"Filch sent us back, Sir. Said there was an emergency?"

"Where's Granger?" And he had to struggle to keep his timbre voice steady.

"She was right behind me but now I can't find her."

He motioned towards the steps leading up.

"The fire is in the dungeons. Go on, get out of here."

Now he was sure she was still on this level. The air was starting to get stifling hot and it was getting harder to breathe. He started to cough as the smoke entered his lungs. Still he searched on. He would not leave her behind.

Just behind a suit of armor, he saw her. His steps quickened to almost a run, without him being aware of it. His heart clenched painfully.

"Granger!"

She turned at the sound of her name but before she could say anything, Snape had engulfed her in his arms, holding her head tight against his chest.

Hermione saw Snape rushing towards her and her first instinct was to step back. It was not everyday your Professor charged towards you. Then he did something strange and so out of character, she was stunned into silence. And his face ~

Harry had shown her Snape's memory after Voldemort's defeat. When a younger Snape had entered the Potters' house, trepidation and vulnerability etched in his features. That was what Snape looked like a few moments ago as he strode towards her.

He was still cradling her head against his chest, stroking her hair. His broad shoulders covered hers, creating a small haven and strangely, she felt comforted and safe..in his arms. He had taken her right hand and placed it against his chest where his heart laid beneath. Then Snape's chest seemed to hitch, his shoulders heaving and she heard his whispered words near her ear...

I thought...I thought you had...

He didn't finish his train of thought. She pulled back to look at him, although he was reluctant to surrender the embrace and she saw his eyes were red and watery. A single tear tracked down his left cheek. Hermione had never seen his face so full of emotions. There was a desperation in it and something else..Something she had only seen in his memories for Lily.

She reached a tentative hand up, wiping his tear away. Her touch on his face seemed to jolt him back to reality. His face hardened, she could actually see the muscles tensing as Snape composed himself and shielded his emotions from her.

He pushed her away so suddenly, she almost fell.

"Tardy as usual, Granger." And his nasal voice was back to its old sarcastic tone. Only the drying tear on his cheek betrayed what had just happened.

"50 points from Griffindor for wasting a teacher's time during an emergency. Now get moving before both of us burn to death."

And without even waiting for her, Snape turned and walked away.

**I'd continue this, if someone would suggest me some plots**


	2. Chapter 2

Of course with any common fairy tale, she would've confronted him. He would've denied anything happened or perhaps chipping in an insult or two about her big teeth and unruly hair. She would've retorted back with some in-the-spur-of-the-moment remark upon which he would lose his temper and descend upon her in a mixture of rage and lust. They would kiss passionately, one thing would lead to another, he would've muttered about the wrongness of teacher-student liasons but losing the battle to his traitorous body anyway.

Of course, all these would've played out, had they been in a fairy tale. Hermione sighed. But this was life.

Life went on as usual after the fire incident. Snape acted as if nothing happened, even treating her more strictly than usual. There were no sneaked glances, no stolen kisses, no hidden meanings when he looked at her or conversed with her.

So life went on, she trailed along with Harry searching for the Horcruxes, watched in mounting horror as Voldemort slit Snape's throat and set Nagini upon him in the boathouse. Snape didn't spare a look at her as he was dying, focused on his task at that moment, to deliver his memories to Harry. There was a dull ache in her heart which she recognized as sorrow at his death, momentarily tamped down in the heat of the battle. Then Harry won the duel with Voldemort, dispersing his wretched soul with a simple Expelliarmus and then it was all over.

She made her way back to the Boathouse, wanting to keep his body safe, despite everyone thinking he was a traitor and Death Eater. But she couldn't find his corpse. Only a trail of blood and his discarded wand that had been broken in two.

Ron started to make snide remarks of Snape and any romantic feelings she had had with Ron, yes, even the kiss they shared in the Chamber of Secrets, evaporated instantly. Fond interest and childhood camaderie dissolved as he continued berating Snape, saying that he deserved his fate many times over and future generations were spared from his horrid Potions classes.

They were left to pick up the pieces from the war. It was a depressing month as surviving friends and family mourned the loss of their loved ones. She watched in detachment, smiled when she was expected to, helped when she was asked. She helped Harry clear Snape's name posthumously and erected a monument in his honour. It was a simple stone with a carving of a snake encircling a lily flower. They placed it overlooking the lake. Hermione liked to think that after all the years in the dungeon, Professor Snape could finally be free.

She didn't realize it, but she was slowly wasting away. As others recovered from the war, she deteriorated physically and mentally. Some nights she woke up screaming from nightmares of Snape's death. Other nights she cried herself to sleep thinking of what might have been. A foolish girl's musings over a man who pined after her best friend's long dead mother. And on nights that she couldn't sleep, she came to Snape's monument. Curled beside it, smiling a little as she reminisced of his arms around her, their entwined hands over his strong, beating heart. She realized two people did not need to have physical relations to care so much for each other. But it was late, far too late.

Tonight was such a night she could not sleep. The sky was starless, and the lake was still. She cleared the weeds that were starting to grow around his monument, finally replacing the bouquet of dried flowers with fresh lilies that she had brought to him. She curled up beside his monument, resting her side against the cool marble.

She fingered his snapped wand that she had salvaged from the boathouse. Even the elder wand could not repair this wand because its owner was dead. She kept it near her all the time. She liked to think that in some way, he was still close to her.

"I miss you," she whispered, not for the first time. And then sobbed bitterly as she mourned the loss of a hero, a teacher, a role model, perhaps even a would've been lover. 


	3. Chapter 3

She was nestled in the crook of his arm, spooned in front of him as he caressed the top of her head, occassionally untangling her stubborn hair gently. She heaved a contented sigh, burrowing her face deeper into his warmth, inhaling his distinctive scent. His heart beat strongly against her ears. He was rocking her slowly and humming, she could feel his chest vibrate even through his travelling cloak.

"Is this a dream?" she asked.

When he did not reply, she pulled back to look at him.

It was indeed Snape. He looked malnourished, hair all greasy and longer than how he usually kept it. So much thinner, his cheekbones were prominent. The bandage around his neck was stained and dirty with dried blood. But alive. What was important was he was alive.

She could not believe it.

Reached out a trembling hand to his face. This time he did not flinch away. He closed his eyes at her touch. Leaned his cheek against the palm of her hand, nuzzling it. As if he had dreamed of doing this a thousand times prior. She felt an involuntary shiver pass through his body, transferring to her. He was moving his lips against the palm of her hand. She thought he was kissing it but she was wrong. He was trying to speak, but no sound was coming out. He was mouthing the same sentence over and over but she could not make it out.

"Your voice..."

He removed her hand that was cradling his face and shook his head sadly, gesturing to his neck wound. Deliberately, he took her fingers and placed them against his lips. He mouthed the words again. Making sure she could discern each separate word. Eyes never breaking contact with hers.

I...

Love...

You...

Comprehension dawned on her features as she made out what Snape was trying to convey to her. When he saw that she finally understood him, he pulled her close, crushing his lips to hers. She felt engulfed by his passion, it felt like he was pouring out his heart and soul in the kiss. She felt his loneliness and suffering from suppressing his love for her for so long and she sobbed as he kissed her again and again, as if this were their first and last night together.

He stopped when he tasted her tears and pulled away, not understanding why. With the back of his hand, he wiped her cheeks dry as gently as he knew how.

OK? A raised eyebrow.

Hermione laughed. It was funny and carefree sound, she had not laughed since the war.

"You're alive." She took his hand placed it against her heart. "You've alive."

His other hand snaked around her waist, lifted her up to standing position, then pulled her snug and possessively against his hardness.

Come with me.

Dawn came, the first rays of sunlight casting rainbow rays across the lake. A bird chirped nearby until the Whomping Willow threw a log at it. Dew drops formed on the still fresh lily bouquet in front of the Memorial of Severus Snape. Next to the bouquet two wands laid side by side. One of it had been snapped into two.

15 inch ebony, core of dragon heartstring.  
10 and 3/4 vine wood, core of dragon heartstring.

It was reputed that both wands shared the core from the same dragon.

Hermione Granger and Severus Snape were never seen or heard in the Wizarding World ever again. 


End file.
